Autodesk Fluid FX

Send your pictures round the blend

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iOS App of the Week A very long time ago, graphics guru Kai Krause - a name sure to make any Mac user over a certain ago go all misty eyed and nostalgic - created an app - or 'program', as we called them then - named Goo. It allowed you to morph and distort photos in various, vaguely amusing ways.

It was primarily just a bit of fun, but Goo did also employ some seriously clever graphics algorithms that Krause had originally developed for a series of pro-oriented Photoshop plug-ins.

Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey

Fluid FX reminds me very much of Goo, as it uses some high-end graphics tech from Autodesk for the sole purpose of fooling around with photos. You can distort photos simply by selecting one of its preset 'warp' effects and then just using your finger to shape the image as if it were clay.

It also includes a series of smoke and fire effects that you can use to create effects such as burning demon eyes.

Too much petrol on the barbie

Like Goo, Fluid FX is mostly just for fun, but it also allows you to dip below the surface and to create custom effects that can be used in other ways as well. You can modify settings such as gravity, viscosity and turbulence to control how each effect works, and this latest version of the app also allows you to record your effects as they are rendered on screen.

The resulting video clips can then be imported into other apps, such as iMovie, and used as part of a larger video project.

Export fiddled-with photos to iMovie

I'll admit that my interest in Fluid FX is partly driven by nostalgia for the days of Goo, but I'm also impressed to see such powerful image processing on an iPhone or iPad. And if that doesn't convince you then for just 69p you can write it off as a toy to keep the kids amused during the current rainy season. ®

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